Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) (7 page)

He chuckled and took another drink. “Oh I don’t know. Sometimes her observations are surprisingly insightful.”

“You don’t know her as well as I do.” She swiveled toward the bar and picked up the other half of the sandwich.

He watched her eat as he sipped his hot chocolate. She could feel his gaze on her but didn’t look at him. She was only here for one night. It didn’t make sense to start something she wasn’t prepared to finish. Jake was tempting as hell. She was the first to admit she was attracted to him, but indulging that attraction was just plain foolish.

“Will any of the other packs offer you shelter?”

Rather than carelessly dismiss the possibility, she took a moment and ran through the various packs. Her father was network Prime, which meant he was the most powerful canine alpha. “There are two pack alphas who resent my father’s power. They might be willing to shelter me just to spite him.”

He shook his head. “You’d be right back where you started. Any of your father’s enemies would force a mating bond or worse.”

“All the other packs are either loyal to Father or fear him. Either way, they’re not going to help me.”

He was silent for a moment as his gaze searched hers. “And there isn’t anyone you would consider accepting as your mate? Even if your father didn’t approve of your choice, it would defuse the situation.”

She pushed the mostly empty plate aside and picked up her mug. Old wounds ached, threatening to break open and bleed. “I… No, there’s been no one since David.”

His head tilted and his brows scrunched together. It was obvious he wanted to delve deeper into the subject. Instead he asked, “Are you defined?”

She shuddered so violently a few drops of hot chocolate rained down on her legs. “Y-yes.” He didn’t know. There was no way he could know her secret. He was asking why she didn’t mate with the man who defined her. It was common practice.

“You weren’t defined by your fiancé?”

“My definition was…complicated.” She didn’t say more and he didn’t pry. But the question unleashed a maelstrom of emotions and memories. Her definition had been every bit as traumatic as what nearly happened tonight. Even six years after the event, she felt ashamed and confused every time she thought about Carlos.

“I think we should call Landon after you’ve had a few hours of sleep. He’s your brother. Besides, he’s already on the outs with most of the wolf packs. What does he have to lose?”

She finished her drink and set the mug on the bar. None of this was Jake’s problem, so why did his suggestion sting? “I’m not sure where I’ll go, but I won’t stay more than one night. I appreciate your hospitality and I won’t impose more than I already have.”

He caught her hand and waited until she looked at him before he said, “I’m not trying to get rid of you. I know you’ve been through hell tonight. I’m just trying to figure out how to help you.”

“You’ve been wonderful. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t agreed to help me.” She eased her hand out of his and slid off the stool. “I’ll see you in the morning, or later in the morning.”

“Rest well.” He gathered the dishes and headed for the sink.

She hurried out of the kitchen and picked up the overnight bag before heading upstairs. It was probably overkill, but she felt safer on the second floor. It was too easy to smash in a window and drag someone out on the ground floor.

A hallway branched off to the right, a railed gallery to the left. She paused.

“First bedroom on your left has its own bathroom. That’s probably your best bet.” Jake stood in the living room, looking up at her. He had a dishtowel draped over his shoulder and still managed to look like the proverbial bad-boy fantasy.

“Thanks.” She ran her fingers along the polished railing, struck again by the mansion’s elegance. One wall in the living room was dominated by the largest flat-screen TV she’d ever seen and another contained floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything was orderly and immaculate, as if it were never touched. She was rapidly getting the impression that Jake didn’t spend a lot of time here.

She walked into the bedroom he’d indicated and shut the door. Moonlight spilled in through a gap in the curtains so she didn’t bother locating the light switch. She dropped the bag to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling empty and numb.

The first few hours after her shift had been consumed by instinct. She thought of nothing but escape, cared only about survival. But once she lost the hunters and found herself literally surrounded by shit, headed in an unknown direction, her emotions surfaced again. Rage, frustration and loss had twisted through her like tentacles. Even trapped in her wolf form, she’d ached with the need to release the pent-up feelings. She’d whimpered and moaned, expressing her sorrow the only way possible.

Now she was capable of crying but the tears wouldn’t come.

It didn’t matter. Crying never solved anything anyway.

She kicked off her borrowed shoes and was about to crawl into bed when someone knocked on the door. Padding to the door, she eased it open and found Jake holding a black t-shirt.

“Thought this would be more comfortable than trying to sleep in what you’re wearing.”

She took the t-shirt and smiled. “I appreciate it.”

“Then I’ll see you in the morning, or later in the morning.” He loitered in the hallway, as if he were as reluctant to leave her as she’d been to leave him.

Ignoring the tantalizing impulse to grab his hand and pull him into her room, she offered him a halfhearted wave and firmly closed the door.

Lexxie leaned against the tree trunk, hoping Nate had forgotten she was there. He’d ordered her not to leave almost an hour ago but hadn’t so much as looked at her since. The clearing was basically deserted. The bonfire had been reduced to smoldering embers and only four vehicles remained along the tree line.

Nate stood near the fire pit, arms crossed over his chest. Two of the hunters had just returned and Nate wasn’t pleased to see them. She didn’t know the blond, but Braden Montego’s long dark hair and piercing green eyes were unmistakable. She could hear the rumble of Nate’s voice but couldn’t make out his words. Unlike some Therians who could augment their human senses, she wasn’t able to control a partial shift. She was either all wolf or all human. There was nothing in between.

“You’re a useless coward!”

Nate raised his hand to strike the blond but Braden caught his forearm.

“We didn’t give up.” Braden faced her, so his voice carried better than Nate’s. “We lost her. It happens. We’ll regroup and start again in a few hours.”

Nate jerked his arm out of Braden’s grasp and took a step back. “She could be three states away by the time you wake up and her trail will be completely cold.”

“You said she hadn’t been defined. So how the hell did she shift?” Braden fired back.

The blond seemed interested in the answer but he’d eased back a few steps, taking him out of Nate’s reach.

“She did this once before.” Nate dismissed the issue with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t mean she’s been defined.”

“Then what really happened the night Carlos died? You told everyone he turned feral after he defined her. If he never defined her, what made him attack?”

“I don’t know,” Nate snarled. “None of this helps you find her.”

“I want a mate defined with my own blood. If that ship sailed, I’m not interested in finding her.”

“There’s a seat on the Alpha Council for the man who claims her. Pass the word. I want this settled today,” Nate snapped, clearly agitated by the other man’s objections.

“You don’t have that authority! Alphas are chosen by their packs and only alphas can sit on the council.” Braden sounded as angry as Nate. And Lexxie wasn’t sure who to root for.

“I’m network Prime. I can do whatever the hell I want. If the rules don’t allow for what I have in mind, I’ll change the goddamn rules! If you don’t have the balls for this sort of thing, then withdraw.” Nate snarled again, the sound even more animalistic. “There are plenty of others willing to prove themselves.”

“There are others willing to use your daughter to secure honors they haven’t earned.”

They were toe-to-toe, shouting at each other. The blond man crept toward the vehicles. Apparently he’d lost interest in the conversation and the other two didn’t care enough to stop him.

For a long moment Nate and Braden just glared at each other. Lexxie thought the argument was over then Braden asked, “What’s this really about? Why are you so desperate to have Heather mated?”

Braden was right. Pride and anger explained Nate’s initial reaction, but offering to rewrite the network charter made him appear desperate and unstable.

Nate turned his head and looked at her. Guess he hadn’t forgotten her after all. Again she thought he wouldn’t answer. But a tense moment passed and then he turned back to Braden and explained, “Tonight gave people the wrong impression. I’m not trying to get rid of Heather. I’m trying to protect her.”

“Protect her from what?” Braden sounded skeptical and Lexxie was right there with him. How did offering Heather to the winner of a challenge protect her from anything?

“She’s in danger and the only thing that will make her safe again is if she’s securely bound to a Therian male.”

“That didn’t answer my question.” Braden crossed his arms over his chest, looking every bit as stubborn as Nate. It wasn’t surprising that Braden couldn’t be browbeaten by Nate. Braden’s pack was larger than Nate’s, though not nearly as affluent. Still, many thought Braden would make a better network Prime. Whispers had circulated for years hinting that Braden would challenge Nate, but to Lexxie’s knowledge the challenge hadn’t been issued yet. “Why is she in danger?”

Nate waved away the question. “The only person who needs to understand the details is her mate. Go find her and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Tell me everything and I’ll decide if she’s worth finding.”

“Hunt or don’t.” Nate shrugged but his eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “It’s your choice, but the details are for her mate.”

Without revealing if he would continue hunting or not, Braden walked to one of the remaining SUVs and climbed in. Nate watched him leave, gaze narrowed and hostile, then he shook his head and stalked over to where Lexxie stood.

“You know Heather better than anyone. What are the hunters missing? Where’d she go?”

Lexxie bristled. Did he honestly expect her to betray Heather that easily? He might be pack alpha but Heather meant more to her than anyone else on the planet. There was not a chance in hell she’d give up her best friend. “I have no idea. She’s terrified and… How could you do this to her? After what happened with Carlos, you had to know—”

“This has nothing to do with Carlos,” he sneered. “Heather doesn’t realize the full extent of her danger. I’m not impatient for grandchildren. I’m trying to protect her.”

“So you keep saying. But I’m with Braden. Explain what’s going on and I’ll think about helping you.”

His arm whipped toward her and his long, strong fingers encircled her throat. “Tell me everything right now or I’ll snap your scrawny neck.”

A lifetime of experience demanded she lower her gaze and comply. But Lexxie’s parents had been killed when she was a toddler, so Heather was the closest thing she’d ever had to family. “Go ahead,” she whispered. “I won’t betray her.”

With an exasperated growl, he shoved her back and stomped off toward the vehicles. There were only two left, his and hers.

Lexxie rubbed her bruised throat and waited until Nate disappeared into the darkness. Dawn was less than an hour away. She could see a faint glow along the treetops. She walked to her jeep and dug what remained of Heather’s clothes out from behind the seat. She’d snatched them off the ground while everything was still chaotic.

As she’d hoped, Heather’s cell phone was still in the pocket of her jeans. It was a stroke of luck for her but it made her realize the sobering reality of Heather’s situation. She had no clothes, no money, no credit cards or identification. Hopefully she’d found shelter by now. She couldn’t risk any of her usual haunts. Too many of the men in their pack knew her habits. She had to have gone way outside her comfort zone. Which meant somewhere she’d never been before or somewhere no wolf would believe she’d go.

Lexxie scrolled through the menus on the phone, looking for anyone in a position to help Heather. She spotted Landon’s number and paused. Nate was wrong about her knowing Heather best. That distinction belonged to her brother. They’d been born ten months apart and had always been incredibly close. But Landon was a traitor so Nate pretended that his middle son had never existed.

She’d been acting as go-between for the siblings, hoping to keep Nate from knowing they were still in communication. As long as Nate didn’t realize she had Heather’s phone it was safer than using her own, which he could demand to see at any time. She gave herself a mental shake. She was being paranoid.

“Just call the man,” she muttered. Lexxie debated between a text message and a call. The situation was complicated. Better risk an actual call. She activated his number and held her breath as she waited for Landon to answer.

“Damn it, Heather. This better be important.” He sounded sleepy and annoyed.